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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26574205">we can wonder</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/angstonly/pseuds/angstonly'>angstonly</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stray Kids (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Best Friends, Coming of Age, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mental Health Issues, References to Depression, Slow Burn, Soul-Searching, cameos by NCT, genuinely the slowest of burns</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:21:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,647</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26574205</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/angstonly/pseuds/angstonly</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Still, it's a feeling that haunts him when his thoughts drift, when Seungmin holds his hand and his heart yearns for something more. It feels inappropriate in a way, to desire for more than the already amazing relationship that he and Seungmin have. He supposes it's the convoluted way in which his mind works—engaged in an unending fray with his heart.</p><p>And who can blame him? It's Seungmin. Seungmin, who holds every good in the universe in his smile. Seungmin, who knows him better than he knows himself. Seungmin, who looks at Jisung like he's worth more than he actually is.</p><p>But the timing has long-since passed. Theirs is a story that will amount to nothing more than what they already have, and Jisung is okay with that.</p><p>or: a will-they-or-won't-they story between best friends seungmin and jisung</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Han Jisung | Han/Kim Seungmin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Seungmin-Centric Ficfest</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this idea ended up being longer than expected so please bear with me as i write this in parts &lt;3 to my ptompter: this is only just the beginning and i hope you hang in with me as their story unfolds.</p><p>PROMPT #72: best friends to lovers slowburn seemingly unrequited pining college fic where person a is aware that he’s in love with person b but he doesn’t do anything about it because he doesn’t want to ruin their friendship (and person b has a rule to not date friends)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Move-in day.</p><p>Seungmin peers out the window, watches as University District fills with bustle and life. He has his airpods in, listening to a song by his brother's band, nodding along as his parents speak and speak and speak about every little thing he absolutely does <em>not</em> want to hear. He's doing his best to drown their voices—they've been nagging at him from the moment he woke up that morning, and he wonders how they still haven't run out of breath.</p><p>"Don’t say I didn't warn you," Wonpil told him over the phone the night prior. He and his brother have lived apart since Wonpil moved out for his own university years, seeing each other only in the rare occasions that he's not on tour with his band. "They'll be even worse on you considering how I ended up."</p><p>In retrospect, he should have known better than to hope that it wouldn't be as bad as Wonpil makes it out to be.</p><p>His phone buzzes and as though reading his mind, Wonpil's name is on the screen. In his text is a funny selfie with words of encouragement to go along with it.</p><p><strong>hyung: <br/></strong>› freedom will be yours soon, little brother. hang in there!<br/>› [ attachment: IMG1892.jpg ]</p><p>Seungmin types in a quick grateful response before turning back to the crowd that has somehow already doubled—tripled even—in size. The next song plays as their car slowly inches forward, his parents taking a break from nagging at him to complain about the heavy traffic and slow movement they're making. It doesn't last long, though; apparently, the traffic jam is Seungmin's fault, and they just have to chide him for it in addition to every other thing they've already whined about.</p><p><strong>Me<br/></strong>› oh my god how do they blame everything on us this is a talent<br/>› they went from saying the traffic jam is bc i didn't wake up two mins earlier to saying it's your fault for being in a band i—<br/><strong>hyung<br/></strong>› LMAO i'm just that powerful i guess<strong><br/>›</strong> watch them blame me for your dorm assignments too</p><p>Time passes slowly in that dreadful car, but he's thankful for Wonpil for keeping him company. He doesn't usually wake up this early, but he can only assume he did to ease the burdens of being trapped in a small sedan with their overbearing parents. Wonpil is much older than Seungmin, but they've managed to forge a close relationship that he wouldn't trade for anything in the world.</p><p>When they finally near Seungmin's dorm building, he tells Wonpil he'll call him later. He reads Wonpil's reassuring reply before pocketing his phone, mustering a smile to as volunteers greet them with cheery voices and bright smiles. Seungmin gets out of the car with his backpack as soon as it comes to a halt.</p><p>He doesn't have much to unload thanks to his parents' insistence on packing light. They live about —they can always come back and bring him his things when it's less crowded. When he hears this, Seungmin squeezes as much as he can in the bags his mom hands him; he doesn't trust either of them to keep out of his room now that he's away. Seungmin can still remember the pit in his stomach from when they'd combed through Wonpil's room as soon as they got home after dropping him off.</p><p>His dorm assignment is in the far north end of campus, a building that was once a hotel now refashioned into university housing. It's nicer than the other dorms because of it—more spacious, more private, more secure. He's told that each room only holds two, and relief fills his chest when he sees that they have their own private bathroom. He can only hope now that his roommate likes to keep things clean as much as he does.</p><p>The room is empty when he arrives, and he endures all his mother's complaints as best he possibly can as they set up his side of the room. He bites into his jaw at the mention of Wonpil, focusing all of his attention on hanging his clothes to fight the urge to say something back.</p><p>Eventually, all is finished and he <em>finally</em> has the room to himself. (For the time being, at least.) So he collapses on his bed and calls his brother like he promised, so incredibly intoxicated by the fact that he's finally here.</p><p>"It's going to be overwhelming," Wonpil says over the phone, "but this is a new start for you. These next four—or more, take your time if you need to—years are going to be filled with good and bad. If you end up like me, it's going to be wild."</p><p>"I don't know if I'll end up exactly like you," Seungmin laughs, watching his brother's expression on the screen. "Though I <em>am </em>curious about the kind of life you led while you were here."</p><p>"A lot of mistakes, little pup," he admits with a nostalgic smile. "I did a lot of crazy stupid shit back in the day—things I still haven't told you, things I don't even know if I want to tell you."</p><p>"That goes against our code!" Seungmin narrows his eyes at him, a small pout on his lips.</p><p>"Listen, all in good time! I'll tell you eventually, I promise!" Wonpil laughs, that kind of laugh that sounds so free—a laugh Wonpil wouldn't have if he didn't follow his dreams all those years ago. "That being said, though, I want you to promise me something."</p><p>"Anything."</p><p>"Promise me that no matter what happens, you'll call me when you're in trouble. I don't care how late, I don't care how trivial; if it's troubling you, you call me. I know you—you're going to think that you're bothering me or that I'm busy or that I have better things to do. No. None of that." Wonpil looks at him with a serious expression on his face. "I will never <em>ever</em> be too busy for you, okay? There is nothing in this world, in this life that's more important to me than my baby brother. I will not let you deal with anything alone. You are my priority."</p><p>Seungmin doesn't bother to fight the smile that slowly spreads across his face upon hearing his brother's words. "Okay, I will," he says with a nod, face bright as Wonpil finally smiles again. "I promise. No matter what happens, if I'm in trouble, I will call you."</p><p>"Good. Now go kick some ass, and enjoy your newfound freedom."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>His roommate, thankfully, is Asian too. Seungmin is friendly by nature, but he'd much rather keep to his comfort zone when it comes to who he's to share his living quarters with. Cultural differences are important to consider.</p><p>The boy's name is Renjun, an art student who was born in China but moved when he was seven. They easily connect over their shared love of music, their room immediately filling with a joint playlist they create to help each other discover new songs. Seungmin makes sure to advertise his brother's band, and he feels a sense of satisfaction when he sees Renjun nodding his head along to their songs.</p><p>They play music and talk about their backgrounds until it's time to go to the involvement fair. He has heard from Wonpil that the fair gets so hectic that it's difficult to get to every single booth, so he recommended that Seungmin see the list of organizations beforehand and explore the fair with purpose. There aren’t a whole lot that catches Seungmin's eye, so he suspects he won't take too long.</p><p>The sun greets them as they walk out of their building, awed by the amount of people walking around with peps in their step. It's a fascinating sight—being surrounded by so many others in the same boat as he. He hears Wonpil's voice in his mind as he catches sight of the first line of booths with eager students advertising their respective organizations. <em>Don't let them distract you! The fair is a warzone!</em></p><p>It's like being transported into a new world. Seungmin gapes with wide-eyed wonder as he walks down the crowded path, everything around him nearly overwhelming his senses. He's only barely entered where the fair area begins, and he can already understand Wonpil's insistence on writing out a list.</p><p>The list is forgotten almost immediately.</p><p>There in the distance, Seungmin sees the unmistakable colors of the same flag he has hung in his dorm. It's large and imposing, so visible despite how far it seems to be from where he stands. It calls out to him; like a casted spell, it entrances him . He begins to move without much thought, like the flag is his North Star, his only navigation.</p><p>His gaze zeroes in on the booth in front of the flag, smile wider than ever as he sees the people manning it. His heart speeds up, like he's falling in love for the first time, eyes shining with the anticipation of connecting with peers who look like him, the eagerness to befriend those who <em>know</em> what it's like to be him.</p><p>"Is it your first time seeing this many Asian kids in one place?"</p><p>Seungmin startles at the sudden voice beside him. He turns to him and marvels at the most beautiful man he's ever seen (<em>sorry, hyung</em>). He's shorter than Seungmin, but he can hardly notice from the way the man carries himself. He exudes confidence and grace, an effortless elegance with just his voice and his smile.</p><p>"Y-yeah," Seungmin stammers as he realizes he's just been staring at the stranger's face. "Yeah!" He says more firmly after a moment's pause. "There were only ten of us in my high school, so this is a welcome change."</p><p>"I'm Minho, by the way," he says with another smile. It's so blinding that Seungmin finds himself looking anywhere but directly at him. "I'm the external vice president of KSA and dance team captain. We're the ones waving the Korean flag around. I think they're running through the fair with it right now."</p><p>"It's a very effective recruitment tactic!" Seungmin's voice rises in pitch, excitement evident as he begins to talk about the flag—how he had seen it from far away, and like a spell, he walked towards it without much thought. To finish his story he says, "And that's how I ended up here!"</p><p>He didn't think it possible, but Minho's smile shines even brighter as he listens to Seungmin. He's staring so intently at him, like he's paying close attention to every single word that slips past his lips. Undivided attention feels so different, but Seungmin can't say he doesn't enjoy it. It makes him feel important somehow. Before he even realizes, he's already ventured into the realm of oversharing—not that Minho exhibits any indication of discomfort, which only emboldens Seungmin even more.</p><p>"Oh dear, do I have yet <em>another</em> rival for your attention, Minho?" Seungmin startles as a boy with jet black hair and glowing fair skin winds an arm around Minho's shoulder, directing a dimpled grin at him before turning to face Seungmin. "Don't fall for it, he's not actually this nice."</p><p>Minho laughs softly, smile reaching his eyes as he elbows Chan in the abdomen. Chan grunts before laughing and pointing at him. "See what I mean?" He shakes his head, but Seungmin can see the affection in his eyes. "Keep your guard up at all times!"</p><p>"I'll keep that in mind," says Seungmin with a suppressed chuckle.</p><p>"Never trust a man with 'ho' in his name, I say," Chan adds, which earns him another elbow from Minho, who laughs heartily as he does so. Chan playfully glowers at him, folding his arms against his chest as a pout forms on his lips. Minho continues to smile, and Seungmin thinks he might just be the most interesting man he's ever met.</p><p>"Anyway, hi," Chan says, turning to Seungmin with an outstretched hand, "I'm Chan, president of KSA and the Lee Minho fan club."</p><p>"There's a Lee Minho fan club? Where do I sign up?" Seungmin takes his hand, and they laugh together as Minho rolls his eyes.</p><p>From there, conversation naturally flows. He doesn't know how it happens, but he eventually finds himself in a group, exchanging phone numbers and social media, getting to know each other faster than Seungmin ever thought possible. His peers are congenial, inherently warm, and Seungmin can't hide the mirth that's written all over his face.</p><p>If he's lucky, he's on his way to making friends for life. </p><p>Seungmin can't wait to tell Wonpil.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>hwang hyunjin<br/></strong>› YOOOOOO WHO'S GOING TO THE WELCOME BACK PARTY<br/>› TRICK QUESTION WE ALL ARE!!!!<br/><strong>lee felix<br/></strong>› when is it<br/><strong>hwang hyunjin</strong><br/>› it's tonight!!! pregame at chan hyung's :D<br/>› i'm grabbing you all from your dorms at 9:30 mwah !!<br/><strong>lee felix</strong><br/>› if it's welcome back does that mean it's not for us<br/>› we're not technically "back"<br/><strong>hwang hyunjin</strong><br/>› psshhh semantics<br/>› it's the first party of the year!!!<br/>› i hear it gets pretty wild so<br/>› WE'RE GOING<br/><strong>Me<br/></strong>› notice how neither of us even agreed to it<br/><strong>lee felix <br/></strong>› LMAO I WAS JUST ABOUT TO SAY<br/><strong>hwang hyunjin<br/></strong>› sorry cant read &lt;3<strong><br/></strong>› besides us freshmen need to stick together!!<br/>› you guys are stuck with me now ;)<br/>› so !! WE'RE ALL GOING<br/><strong>Me</strong><br/>› i thought you can't read<br/><strong>lee felix</strong><br/>› i thought you can't read</p><p>Seungmin tosses his phone on his bed, laughing as he looks through his closet for something to wear. He finds it absolutely hilarious how easily he, Felix, and Hyunjin became a group. Seungmin was talking to Chan and Minho one second, and next thing he knows, he's laughing so hard from joking around with Felix and Hyunjin.</p><p>"You look happy," says Renjun from his bed, a smile on his face as he sets his phone aside. "New friends already?"</p><p>"I hope so," answers Seungmin as he pulls a shirt from his closet. He holds it up for Renjun to see, who shakes his head. "I think KSA is going to be the one org that I'll stick to." He pulls another shirt—a simple white tee—again holding it out for Renjun to scrutinize.</p><p>"Seungmin, you're going to a <em>party</em>," Renjun sighs before rising to his feet, making his way to stand next to Seungmin, combing through his closet. "So you're either soft boyfriend or formal man in suit, I see. I can work with this."</p><p>"My family is very formal and traditional." Seungmin shrugs, taking a seat on his bed as Renjun pores through his closet. "I have way more suits than I care to own, but apparently I'm not allowed to wear just one suit for everything."</p><p>"Overkill." Renjun grimaces, and Seungmin can't help but chuckle at the face he makes. "I get it, though. I can already tell that you look amazing in suits."</p><p>Seungmin would have never thought he'd be having a conversation about clothes with anyone, but here he is having exactly that. Seungmin finds Renjun's animated tangent on color theory both adorable and informative. The way Renjun speaks is enough for him to see the passion he has for the topic, and Seungmin absolutely loves it.</p><p>For a moment, he wonders what it's like to be that passionate about something. Seungmin has always had his future decided for him, career already selected for him even before he was even born. His entire life relies on his parents' wishes—whatever they want, they get.</p><p>They once put all their hopes and dreams on his older brother, who changed the script of their lives in his university years. Everything they had wanted for Wonpil are now on Seungmin's shoulders.</p><p>"Wait, Seungmin," Renjun suddenly calls, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Idea! Wear one of your button-downs with black jeans and roll up your sleeves. It's simple but really hot."</p><p>Seungmin's parents would throw a fit at the very idea of him using his formalwear at a party, and that alone is enough for him to heed Renjun's suggestion.</p><p>As soon as he gets dressed, Renjun barges into the bathroom with his makeup bag in tow. He sets it down on the counter and makes Seungmin sit on the covered toilet, tilting Seungmin's face with fire in his eyes that Seungmin finds oddly endearing.</p><p>"Be gentle, it's my first time," Seungmin quips, grinning up at Renjun who rolls his eyes. "Seriously, I've never worn makeup before. Father forbids it!"</p><p>"You call your dad 'father'?" Renjun gives him a pointed look, one that Seungmin can only wrinkle his nose at. "Are you some sort of… what do you call those rich kids in Korean dramas where they're like, heirs and super fucking rich and their parents decide everything for them?"</p><p>"A <em>chaebol</em>?" Seungmin blinked at Renjun as he snapped his fingers upon recognition, repeating the word and nodding. "God, no. No, I'm not. My parents are already anal enough—I can't imagine how much worse they would be if we were a chaebol family. No, just no. Nope, we're just your average Asian family."</p><p>"Average Asian family," Renjun repeats. "Except your brother is a fucking celebrity."</p><p>"Much to our parents' dismay," Seungmin snorts. He thinks back to the night Wonpil told them of his career change, switching out from business pre-law to music and only informing them until after he had already done so.</p><p>It was the most amazing night of his night.</p><p>He's halfway into the story when someone starts banging on their dorm room door, a voice that could only be Hyunjin's yelling out Seungmin's name. Renjun raised an eyebrow at him, which Seungmin only shrugged at in response.</p><p>From the bathroom, he hears Renjun say, "Oh my God."</p><p>Then Renjun rushes back into the bathroom, pointing at the door, eyes wide open. "Who the—" Renjun cuts himself off, walking closer to whisper in his ear. "Seungmin, there's an Adonis calling for you outside. Who the hell looks that beautiful?"</p><p>"Yeah, that's Hyunjin," Seungmin confirms with a chuckle.</p><p>And as though on cue, Hyunjin appears by the door, looking as gorgeous as Seungmin would expect from him. "Oh my, oh my," Hyunjin says, and Seungmin can't help but notice how much he glows even under fluorescent lights. "You look amazing, Min!"</p><p>"All Renjun," Seungmin says, and he makes a mental note to tease Renjun about how flushed he looks some other time. "We're almost done, don't worry. We'll get to your precious pregame soon."</p><p>"Bold of you to assume I haven't already begun. Don't worry though, I'm not as bad as Lix yet."</p><p>"Lix is already drunk?!"</p><p>Hyunjin merely winks at him, mischief etched upon his features. They bid Renjun a good night as they head out the door, Hyunjin unable to stop his laughter as he begins to talk about their other friend's current state as he waits in in the Uber downstairs.</p><p>Seungmin didn't want to believe it, but everything Hyunjin says is proven to be true the moment they get to the car. He's giggling when they get inside, immediately attaching himself to Hyunjin's side, cheek resting on Hyunjin's shoulder.</p><p>Tonight is going to be interesting.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"Popular," Jisung whispers.</p><p>"Shut up," Jeongin whispers back.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I'm okay, mom, really." Jisung taps the speaker button as he tosses his phone on his bed. "I went around during the fair earlier and met a couple of people. One of them lives a floor above me, actually, so I might go ask him to hang out one of these days. Maybe."</p><p>"You say that, but I know you!" His mom's voice reverberates around the room, loud and present as if she were there with him. "You're going to tell people 'oh yeah, of course, let's hang out soon!' then never do. You'll talk about hanging out then end up spending your entire day eating chocolates in bed."</p><p>"Damn, you didn't have to come for my throat like that, mom," Jisung huffs as his mother's laughter fills the room. "Just for that, I'm going to go knock on his door as soon as we hang up."</p><p>"Shut up, Virgo!" He hears his sister shout in the distance, and he rolls his eyes with a fond smile as his mom scolds her on the other line.</p><p>It hasn't been long since they left the city, but he already feels the space between them. He supposes it really is different once you leave home for the first time and being from so far away makes it even more of a challenge than it already is.</p><p>"I worry about you, Jisung," his mom then says. "Did you really have to choose the farthest one from us?"</p><p>Jisung breathes in, takes his phone in his hands before falling back into bed. He stares at the ceiling, notes the little specks of color against faded white. He hears faint conversation between his parents. He hears shuffling, and then finally, his sister's voice.</p><p>"God, by how mom is acting you'd think she only <em>just</em> cut your umbilical cord," he snorts. "You'll be fine, you little rascal. They'll be fine too. If you need anything, call me or something. Go forth and do great things, little brother. Or you can go party it up and pass with Cs—that's okay too."</p><p>"You're the worst support."</p><p>"Please," she scoffs. "I'm amazing, kid. Others only wish they had me as a sister."</p><p>He rolls his eyes, but he smiles regardless. Brusque as his sister is, he appreciates her more than words could ever express. She's never been one for dramatics or cheese, which makes their conversations amusingly candid.</p><p>Whether or not his zodiac sign has anything to do with it, Jisung really does step out of his room when their call ends. If not to prove a point, then to somehow create at least <em>one</em> connection that he could always come back to if he needs to. The boy was friendly enough.</p><p>"Jisung!"</p><p>He blinks as soon as their eyes meet, not expecting him to be right there to greet him when he steps out of the elevator. He bows politely as he approaches, his bravado faltering when he realizes that he's with someone else.</p><p>"Minho hyung," Jisung says with a smile. "Hi, sorry, I can come back when—"</p><p>"Hey, no, it's okay," Minho waves dismissively with a smile of his own. This man's beauty is unreal, and Jisung feels more intimidated now that he's staring at him up close. "This is Jeongin, my cousin. He's a freshman too, skipped a grade. Smarter than me, really."</p><p>Jeongin whines at Minho's bragging, looking like he's only barely holding back from covering Minho's mouth with his hand. Minho keeps going, talks about Jeongin's achievements like a parent would their child's, and Jisung actually finds it really sweet. He's always wanted an older brother, but he's given an older sister instead.</p><p>"Sorry, I get carried away when it comes to this kid," Minho laughs, and Jisung thinks he could have been blinded by how bright he naturally is. "Did you need anything? Jeongin and I are getting ready for the party tonight if you wanted to come with us."</p><p>"Oh, I—Um, to be honest, I wasn't really going to—"</p><p>Jisung wants to say that he <em>isn't</em> going to the party. He's heard of it, heard the people at the fair encouraging everyone to come, but it never really crossed his mind to attend. For some reason, he doesn't. Instead, he trails off and hears a voice in the back of his head saying he should go.</p><p>Instead, he meekly says, "Can I?"</p><p>"Of course!" Minho is beaming at him, and Jeongin just sighs.</p><p>Minho excuses himself to shower, leaving Jeongin and Jisung outside his room to themselves. Jeongin sighs again, shaking his head as Minho's singing resonates from the bathroom.</p><p>"You weren't here to talk about the party, were you?"</p><p>Jisung looks over at Jeongin, who has finally found his smile. "Yeah," he admits sheepishly, scratching at the back of his neck. "I was just going to ask for his number so we could hang out or something. I haven't even thought of the party."</p><p>"Thought so," he chuckles. "Hyung knows—he's very perceptive of people—he just chooses to ignore it. Don't worry too much about it, though. This is his way of taking care of you, or so he says."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>There is so much happening. <em>So</em> much happening.</p><p>Jisung is very obviously out of place as soon as they get to this house, which he's told isn't even the actual party but is actually a pregame. A pregame, he's informed, is when they drink before the party so that they're at a good level by the time they get to the actual event. Whatever that means.</p><p>From Jisung's view, it already seems like a party in itself. If this isn't the actual thing, he isn't really sure what to expect later on.</p><p>Minho is incredibly popular. He already thought so during the fair, what with all the people flocking around him almost as soon as they see him. It's almost magical how magnetic he is, how easily he commands attention when he walks into the room. His name is called from every which way, greeted by so many people that <em>Jisung</em> is overwhelmed despite not being the one being spoken to.</p><p>"Is it always like this?" Jisung whispers over to Jeongin, who is watching this sight unfold with an adoring smile on his face. He's only just met them, but it's evident to anyone with eyes how close their relationship is. Jeongin is almost reverent in the way he looks at Minho. It's endearing.</p><p>"Yeah. He's super friendly in general, though take the alcohol away and most people are afraid of him." Jeongin nods, beckoning for him to follow when he moves towards the kitchen. Jisung doesn't really know where to look. There are bottles everywhere, cups littered all over every available surface. He didn't even know there'd be <em>that </em>much variety when it comes to alcoholic drinks. "Drink?"</p><p>"How—How do you even—"</p><p>Jeongin laughs and hands Jisung a cup of… something. It looks like soda, but he assumes it's not <em>just</em>. He sniffs the cup, earning him a laugh from Jeongin. To his surprise, the drink really <em>is</em> just soda.</p><p>"I figured you wouldn't want to actually drink right now. I don't really drink much at parties. I'd much rather make sure hyung's okay since he can get pretty crazy at times. I can keep you company tonight as a fellow sober person."</p><p>Jisung breathes out a sigh of relief. Maybe it's all the movies he's watched, but he'd always just assumed he would end up being peer pressured into drinking before he was ready. Thankfully, no one seems to be paying much attention to him.</p><p>Instead, they're cheering someone else on in the other room.</p><p>He and Jeongin make conversation as they walk over. When he thinks about it, it's rather funny. There they are, two sober freshmen, talking to each other as if they were at a social, while the rest of the world around them descends into inebriated chaos. Strange as it is, he quite likes it.</p><p>Jeongin may be a freshman, but he certainly isn't new. He's just as known as Minho, though he supposes it's <em>because</em> of Minho that this is so. By the time they see the commotion in the middle of the room, Jeongin has already been acknowledged by everyone in their path.</p><p>"Popular," Jisung whispers.</p><p>"Shut up," Jeongin whispers back.</p><p>The noise grows as someone stands on top of the coffee table with a bottle in his hand. Cheers erupt as he dances, and Jisung marvels at how amazingly coordinated he is despite the alcohol in his system.</p><p>"Felix, get your ass of the table!" Someone shouts from the crowd.</p><p>The boy—Felix—winks in response before being forcibly removed, and the crowd disperses now that they're left without a center attraction. Jisung follows him with his eyes, sees him wind his arms around two of his friends with a wide smile.</p><p>He hears Jeongin snort beside him, but Jisung's attention has been taken by the dancing drunk boy and his incredibly attractive friends.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Clubs, he finds out, aren't exactly great for conversation. Not that he ever thought they were. It just becomes glaringly apparent as he stands there surrounded by a mass of bodies that seem to have forgotten about the concept of personal space.</p><p>They look like they're having fun though, he'll give them that.</p><p>He sticks to Jeongin and Minho for the most part, meeting people here and there because of Minho's introductions. He smiles politely, grips onto his cup of water like it's a lifeline, glues himself to Jeongin for most of the night to avoid the crowd.</p><p>They stay upstairs, at the part of the club overlooking the dance floor below. It's cordoned off and guarded by a bouncer, a space exclusive to the people wearing bright red wristbands. Jisung isn't really sure how these things work, but he decides not to ask and just goes with it. (He does, however, ask Minho how much he owes him for the wristband. Minho tells him not to worry about it, but Jisung worries anyway.)</p><p>Jisung is thankful there are seats lining the walls. He doesn't know if his feet would survive standing for as long as the others seem to be. He'd always thought that alcohol makes people sleepy, but what he's seeing tonight seems to say otherwise. Maybe it depends on the type of alcohol? He'll find out eventually.</p><p>"God, I'm tired," someone collapses on the space beside him, accented English catching him more off guard than the stranger's sudden presence. When he turns to look, his eyes widen. It's the guy who was dancing on the table earlier! "I need more drinks. Do you want a drink?"</p><p>Jisung smiles and shakes his head, raises his cup of water. He asked the bartender to give him one of those cocktail straws to make it seem like it wasn't. This seems to fool the boy—<em>Felix</em>, he finally remembers—because he nods and says nothing of it.</p><p>"Oh good, you two made it to each other!" Minho half-yells as he approaches with Chan attached to his side. "Felix, this is Jisung. Jisung, this is Felix. Lix, where are Seungmin and Hyunjin?"</p><p>Felix points at a vague area in the distance with a smile that reaches his eyes. "They're getting more drinks! Or I think they're—they're trying to get someone to get them drinks. I think. I don't know. I left them to sit."</p><p>"They could have just asked us," Chan laughs. "The five of you are this year's freshmen, so we wanted to make sure you guys got to know each other."</p><p>"Drunk?" Jisung asks without much thought.</p><p>"Why not? See the worst from the get-go." The way Chan grins at Minho makes him think this is how the two of them met. Minho rolls his eyes and pulls Chan off, only for Chan to reattach himself with an affectionate look on his face.</p><p>Minho shakes his head, rolls his eyes one more time, but eventually finds himself smiling.</p><p>Jisung looks over at Jeongin beside him with an inquisitive eyebrow raised, and Jeongin responds with a shake of his head, mouthing, "Don't ask."</p><p>Chan and Minho have already disappeared by the time he looks back at them, leaving him a little bit stunned by how quickly they've come and gone. He hears Jeongin click his tongue beside him, sighing as though this was a common occurrence he'd already been accustomed to.</p><p>It's at this time that Felix decides to say out loud what Jisung had wordlessly asked one minute ago. "Are those two dating?"</p><p>Jeongin snorts. "No. They both wish, though. It's so disgustingly obvious, but neither of them wants to do anything about it. Stupid, if you ask me. If you like someone, do something about it. Especially when it's so clearly reciprocated."</p><p>"I don't know about that," Jisung says. "It's easier said than done, even more so when the other person is a friend. From what I can tell, they're best friends. That makes it even more complicated."</p><p>Jeongin's face scrunches up in displeasure. "Back me up here, Felix."</p><p>Felix laughs, a kind of high-pitched laugh that makes Jisung question whether it's natural or born out of his drunken state. "I am grossly inexperienced when it comes to matters of the heart. A baby at love if you will."</p><p>"That—" Jeongin doesn't get to finish his sentence. Felix jumps out of his seat and into the arms of one his friends from earlier, cheek against the other guy's shoulder in a way that reminds Jisung of a little kitty.</p><p>"Alright, we're taking you home," the guy says. Felix responds with a whine. The guy looks over his shoulder to regard Jisung and Jeongin, a charming smile on his lips. "Thanks for looking out for him! You guys are freshmen, right? I'll ask Chan hyung for your numbers and I'll add you guys to the GC!"</p><p>They leave before they could say anything else, though not before Felix bids them a loud farewell and a large wave goodbye.</p><p>Jeongin and Jisung exchange a meaningful look. They seem friendly enough, though he still has yet to form an opinion about the third person to complete their trio. There's a rush he feels inside, a sort of excitement woven into his anxiety over meeting new people. He's always been painfully shy, and the idea of joining an already established group always makes him nervous, but he maintains enough hope to look forward to what's to come.</p><p>If all else fails, he at least knows he gets along well with Jeongin.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>— <a href="https://twitter.com/minbinjins">twitter</a><br/>— <a href="https://curiouscat.me/minbinjins">curiouscat</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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